


Frost

by Mysterie



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Age Difference, Implied Physical Abuse, character point of view, movie revist, past genocide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-03 14:38:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4104535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterie/pseuds/Mysterie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has heard of the story of Jack Frost and how he became a Guardian, but that was the story for kids...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack Frost is a fledgling spirit just trying to make sense of the world and his place in it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To help you understand things better, all notes on the slang Bunnymund (Bunny) uses will be at the end of each chapter.

_My name is Jack Frost. You’ve probably at least heard of me if you’re reading this. Chances are, you’re familiar with my story, but you probably don’t know all of it. In fact, I don’t think anyone knows the full story except those involved. I should warn you, that the real story isn’t quite like you’ve heard. The truth is different, but they made it into a children’s movie anyway despite what the truth is. Sandy told me he’d made it to be that way on purpose because the truth isn’t pretty and the truth... well... it’s not for everyone._

  
  


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

**1715  Burgess, Pennsylvania**

 

Brushing off snow from his fall, the lanky teen laughs a little as he walks into the village. He had to show everyone what he could do! Oh the pranks he could pull and the joy he’d bring to others! What human could fly after all? Plus there was that neat trick with the frost. He was so excited he was going to tell everyone he met! Oh, there was someone, but he didn’t think an adult would appreciate it, they could be such sticks in the mud after all.

“Hello.” He said cheerfully, but she didn’t respond.

“Hello.” He said, again cheerful as he saw an older man, but like the woman before he got no response. That was odd, were they hard of hearing?

“Hello ma’am. Ma’am?” He got closer, but she didn’t seem to hear him. Odd. The sound of laughter made him turn and grin. He saw a young boy. He was good with kids, he knelt down as the boy ran towards him. With his usual smile he spoke.

“Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?” He let out a gasp when the child ran straight through him. He shot to his feet, pressing his hands to himself. He was real, just as he’d always been so... how? It was painful too... a sort of aching pain that only lasted as long as the contact had. It was like something was missing.

“Hello?” He called out and another person, an adult man this time, walked through him.

“Hello!” He was getting desperate. Why couldn’t they hear him? Why couldn’t they see him?! After several attempts with no luck and not wanting to be walked through the whole time, he retreated from the village. Eyes wide with fear that gave way to a breaking sadness. No one had seen him, they couldn’t touch him... and the reverse was true as well. A few days later he tried to touch someone... his hand had only gone through them and he’d yanked his hand back from the young woman before him. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember why. Had he seen her before somewhere? No, that couldn’t be right, he’d only risen from the ice three days ago. He shrugged it off. Maybe she just had one of those faces, he reasoned, as he slipped away from the woman and back to the forest. The animals were no comfort, but at least they seemed to be able to see him. A realization he’d come to when a young stag had butted against him gently the other day. It seemed to be trying to comfort him, which he thought was odd, but at the same time it kept him grounded too. He couldn’t be a ghost if he could touch the animals and he certainly was here... He was Jack Frost... the moon had told him so and it was the moon that had chased the darkness away.

  
  
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~  
  


**1745**

 

“Why? Why am I here? Why won’t you answer me?!” Jack yelled at the moon. He was desperate, he needed someone... anyone... just to talk to him. Thirty years of loneliness... no one saw him and no one heard him. What good was it to be able to do cool things in the air or with snow and ice if there was no one to share it with? Tonight wasn’t a good night.... With a sigh he sat on the edge of a roof, watching the golden sand flow around; he didn’t feel like touching it to see what dreams would come this time. Normally he enjoyed playing in this funny sand and watching the images appear. He’d no idea who was making them so he was surprised when some sand seemed to swirl around him but it didn’t go off to a child’s home as usual. Instead, it seemed to be beckoning to him. Curious, he followed it into the night sky where he saw a small sand cloud was hovering and on it, dancing about making dreams was a little yellow man who seemed to glow faintly like the stars high above him. Jack wasn’t sure if he should approach what obviously must be a spirit of some sort. The little man turned and smiled at him. With a friendly smile he beckoned him forward.

“Um... hi... I’m Jack... Jack Frost.” The little man smiled and formed some slow symbols.

“Huh? Don’t you talk?” The little man shook his head and his sand formed letters:

I am Sanderson Mansnoozie, better known as the Sandman. I use dream symbols to talk, but for now I can talk this way if you like. It is rather slow, though.

“I see, that’s okay... Nice to see you Mr. Mansnoozie.” The letters formed again:

_Please, call me Sandy._

“Call me Jack then. Nice to meet you... um, are you the one who makes these?” Jack gestures to the streams of sand. Sandy nods:

They are dreams. It is my job to ensure that the children have good dreams.

“Ah, you must be very busy then. Sorry to have disturbed you.” Sandy smiled a little even as he sent off more dreams:

_It’s okay. You are not a bother. I do not get company much. The other Guardians are just as busy, if not more so._

“Other Guardians? So... you’re one of the Guardians I’ve heard about?” Sandy nodded:

_The others are E. Aster Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny; Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy, and Nicholas Saint North, better known as Santa Claus to children._

Jack nodded.

“So... tell me about the other Guardians then... Er, if you don’t mind that is.” Sandy smiled:

_Of course not! You are still new aren’t you? I will tell you what I know of them._

  
  


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

**1968 Central, Illinois  Easter Sunday**

  


Jack laughed as he stood on the edge of a train station. This city was one of the many large industrial cities over the nation now; full of train tracks and this was just one of the two stations in the city. The snow he’d made glistened beautifully...

“FROST!!!” Jack jolted, nearly stumbling off the top of the building in surprise. Who the heck was that? Not a lot of spirits knew who he was, even after all this time of brining snow and winter to the world. He glanced around only to sudden duck as a boomerang flew at him and he dropped down to miss being hit by it as it came back around. Caught by a gray, furry paw. A six foot rabbit was holding the wooden weapon a scowl on his face. Was that... ?

“Hey... aren’t you the Easter Bunny?” He asked.

“Ya mate. I am and your snow has just messed everything up!”

“What? What are you talking about? It’s still winter!” He watched those emerald eyes narrow further.

“Do you even have any idea what DAY it is ya drongo?”

“Um... Sunday?”

“Too right. EASTER Sunday.” Jack frowned a little.

“So I decorated the place for ya Cottontail. What’s the problem?”

“Ya frozen dill! How are they supposed to find my googies!”

“Your... what?”

“Googies! Agh! Nevermind! Ya made a right mess! Be off with you!” Jack didn’t understand, he’d made it snow because it made places beautiful in the winter and here was the Easter Bunny telling him different... Had he done something wrong? He moved forward but Bunny was turning from him.

“Hey... I’m s-”

“Rack off!” Jack leapt back as the rabbit snarled at him before turning again, and hopping away, grumbling about all the time he’d have to spend trying to melt the snow... Jack’s eyes widened in hurt. He hadn’t meant to... He only wanted to make things nice... Was that so wrong? Jack knew when he wasn’t wanted, with a sigh he flew up and away... back to Burgess. At least there he wouldn’t get yelled at for bringing snow... It was his home after all and the children there loved playing in the snow even around Easter. A sad, light snow followed him as he headed home. He had meant only to do it to make friends he hadn’t meant to anger the Pooka. He even would have helped clean up, however painful it would have been but the Pooka hadn’t wanted him around. That much had been clear. So much for making a new friend...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aussie Slang
> 
> Drongo - stupid  
> Rack off - (angry) go away/get lost  
> Dill - idiot  
> Googie - egg


	2. North Pole

**April 5th, 2012**

**North Pole**

 

Russian music blasted in the tiny room as the large Russian, who was known by many names all around the world. The most commonly known names among English speakers were Santa Claus and Father Christmas. Currently he was chipping away at an ice block that he’d been working on the last several minutes. It never took him long to craft from ice new models that the yetis would use to make the toys for the children. Few of those alive, even among the spirits had any idea that the elves didn’t make the toys; any who knew the truth had no idea why he kept them around. It was something he didn’t share with anyone really. He hummed along in his own way with the music and blew on the tiny train he’d been working on lifting it up with a grin as he presented it to an invisible audience before setting it on the track he’d made earlier. He laughed in delight as it chugged to life and easily ran the track he’d made for it, even the loop that defied gravity; as it hit the end of the track he’d made, the music hitting a crescendo as it sprouted wings and flew about the room to his wondrous delight and it was as the tiny ice train flew near the door that suddenly it swung open, slamming into the ice train and busting it into pieces as one of his yetis stood there warbling at him.

“Ah!” He exclaimed suddenly and the yeti’s eyes widened when it followed his eyes and realized what it had just done. It exclaimed, horrified.

“Ah!” North said a second time before sighing in exasperation.

“How many times have I told you to knock?” Sometimes he swore the yetis could be as dense as the elves. It warbled at him worriedly.

“What? The globe?” North grabbed one of his sabers. Not that he thought he would need it, but one could never be too careful. He marched out of the room and off down one of the open-ended hallways towards the globe which sat as the centerpiece of the highest level of the workshop. Each level had its use, this level was the highest and held several rooms for guests, North’s office and the controls for the Globe of Belief, which could send off the signal for the other Guardians to gather in times of need. There hadn’t been a need really since the year 1500. That had been 512 years ago, not that he was keeping track really because what was one year to the next when one was an immortal? Each of the four Guardians had come together then, summoned by the Man in the Moon to take the oath that would bind them all together and would make them an unstoppable force that would bring joy, wonder, hope and dreams to the children of the world. When North got to the globe he could see why the two yetis who kept constant watch over the globe seemed concerned. The lights were all flickering, but the reason for it didn’t seem obvious.

“What is this? Have you checked the axis? Is rotation balanced?” A yeti warbled at him that they’d checked all that and didn’t know what was making the lights flicker as they were. As North watched he saw black sand seem to suddenly swirl around the globe, covering it in darkness; he watched with narrowed eyes as it covered the entire thing swirled to the top and then burst outward like a balloon and suddenly more sand appeared, forming a very familiar figure that laughed as it skirted around the globe.

“Can it be...?” This was a foe they had not heard from or even seen a sign of in many centuries. He tossed a call over his shoulder.

“Dingle, make preparations. We are going to have company.” He didn’t even bother looking to see if any of his elves figured out who he was talking to... they all thought he was talking to them when he spoke anyway. They would all help, knowing what it was that needed to be done as he twisted a handle and pressed it down, activating the signal that would send out the call to the Guardians. The elves were a little dimwitted, even silly, but they weren’t incompetent as some might think upon first glance. What humans thought was a natural phenomenon, in these particular colors and waves was really the signal from North to gather at the North Pole, a place that no human had discovered because of the magic that kept it that way; even from the most modern of technology. Yetis helped the elves prepare extra cookies and one prepared several cups of eggnog for Sandy, knowing that the little Guardian would want as much of the drink as he could get and of course for some of the others as well.

  
  


**Tooth Palace**

 

The place was like a bee hive as Tooth’s tiny fairies flitted around doing their jobs. Placing teeth in their proper cases in the proper order or gathering coins, some of those who had gathered coins hovered around her as her personal entourage, they were the most experienced of her fairies and often got some of the most difficult of jobs from her that some of her other fairies couldn’t handle.With the number of children ever expanding she’d needed more and more fairies over the years to help her out, but the newer fairies often had to be accompanied by veterans to know what to do and where to go. Tooth could give them an impression of where to go but that took too much of her time when she could be doing other things so it was her “elites” that often hovered about her, constantly awaiting orders. She was chattering as usual about sectors when she suddenly gasped.

“Wait! It’s her first tooth! Have you ever seen a more adorable lateral incisor in all of your life? Look how she flossed!” Her excitement was shared by her fairies, but one flew over to her, chirping excitedly and she gasped as she listened, turning her attention northward and seeing what her fairy had seen. The signal. She stowed the teeth away for later, a small part of her magic, flying off towards the North Pole. There was only one reason that North would activate the signal... the children were in danger. As Guardians, it was their job to protect the children.

  
  


**The Warren**

 

“Ah... almost time...” Bunny muttered to himself, watching as a small handful of eggs joined a few others that were hopping about as they waited their turn for the Pooka to paint them. A handful of others were slowly making their way down the path; painted and ready to be hidden. He still had two billion more eggs to color, but he didn’t hand paint them all. That would be more work than any spirit could do and his googies only came out of the tulips the Sunday before, giving him only a week to paint the eggs he needed. After all, eggs didn’t keep for very long in warm temperatures so he had to work fast. This was the way it was every year now. It had been less work many centuries ago when fewer cultures knew about him or even had heard of him but with the humans populating the earth more and more each year; more children, more work. Well, he didn’t mind really. It kept him busy and was really the best time considering that this time of the year had been the hardest for the Pooka when he’d first come to Earth because it had been around this same time many, many centuries before that Aster had become the last Pooka... He was the only one of his kind, that he knew of. His kin had been slain. Every last one of the Pooka had been killed by one Pitch Black, a monster that had haunted his dreams ever since, though not so much any more; on rare occasions he would wake up, panting as the screams of his fellow Pooka rang in his mind as if he could hear them. Warriors, kits, defenseless civilians... the young and old... Aster had fled as had many others, but from what he realized when he reached Earth, stranded during a space battle with Pitch he was the only Pooka to survive the never-ending war with the monster that had arisen from the the last of the Fearlings that had supposedly been locked away. He didn’t think on that though as he brushed a light blue pattern on the egg he held.

“Eh?” His ears twitched as one of his stone sentinels came up to where he was, they didn’t speak verbally, but they didn’t need to. It was old magic they used to speak to him.

“This better be important...” He had three days before Easter and North was summoning them NOW of all times? The last couple of times the signal had gone off it had been a minor thing. While North was their unofficially appointed leader here on Earth, he wasn’t the real leader... that title belonged to Manny... the Man in the Moon. North had proved his mettle before in battle though in the last battle against Pitch, the end of the Fearling War and North turned out to be a fantastic fighter despite being a former human bandit. He had been chosen by Manny for a reason, they all had; each of them had taken the oath and become Guardians of their own will... but that didn’t mean North didn’t grate on him every now and then... Tucking the egg away in a pouch with one of his magic brushes, he bounded towards the tunnel that would take him straight to the North Pole. A tunnel so rarely used that eggs that had been painted were playing leapfrog in it while waiting to be led to the surface on Easter.

  
  
  


**Colorado Springs, Colorado**

 

Sandy smiled as he went about his work. He loved giving dreams to children, it had been his job since he had taken the oath and he loved every minute of it. The fact that he was able to use his sand to do so made him the Guardian of Dreams. He sent out dreams of puppies, of dinosaurs, of fish and manta rays. He sent out dreams of kittens and unicorns, a couple about dragons or even about spending time with family and friends at places that were fun like carnivals or picnics. He was a little surprised to see the signal pulse across the sky. When was the last time he had seen those colors? He didn’t think about it, sending off one last dream to one of the children below he formed a biplane from his sand cloud, adjusted a set of goggles - not that he needed them - and flew the plane off towards the north where the signal was coming from. He hoped this wouldn’t be like the last time they’d been called, that hadn’t been fun. He thought though that by now North had learned his lesson about calling them for just any reason. His work was very important, after all, in keeping the balance and unlike North, he didn’t really have much time for rest or to do much else since he had to spend most of his waking hours sending out dreams to the world. Once he was done with one side, he was able to spare a few hours usually to either do something he wanted or to sleep... more often than not he slept so that he’d be ready for the next batch of dreamers. Hopefully this wouldn’t take too long. Well, worst case scenario if it did he could catch up on some sleep if it was really nothing; after all he was pretty much done for the evening for this side of the world.

  
  


**North Pole**

 

Bunny emerged just outside the workshop by a few blocks. Due to the protection spells on North’s home, he couldn’t just make a tunnel to the _inside_... not to mention doing so would be rude and dangerous anyway. He had tunnels that came out at certain points that were for safety reasons. Chances of someone falling in his holes were minimized that way, he’d had trouble with spirits falling in during the early days until he’d set up a system with his Warren that would ensure he could be anywhere without accidently popping up some place where someone would be and could stumble upon the hole... spirit or not. The yetis opened the front door and he hoped inside, stumbling past yetis and elves for the lift that would take him to the top floor. Once there he bounded over to the hearth to warm his feet. Why did it have to be so cold here?

“This better be good North.” He said, ignoring the offer of something to eat or drink from the Guardian of Wonder.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

“Cookies? Eggnog? Anyone?” North asked as Tooth fluttered near the hearth and Bunny had joined her just seconds before. The only one who wasn’t here was... Ah! There he was! Sandy arrived, his plane dispersing as he hopped out near the ledge and symbols flashed quickly over his head.

“I know! I know, but obviously I wouldn’t have called you all here if it weren’t serious.” North said. Sandy quieted down then, moving over to stand to one side only to spot a yeti who was holding a tray of eggnog. The little Guardian quickly floated over and began to drain the cups.

North noticed, but said nothing as he was looking at his fellow Guardians seriously now, Tooth had hushed her fairies.

“The Boogeyman was here. At the pole!” North said, emphasizing the point by pointing to the floor with one finger. Sandy’s eyes went wide and Bunny glanced over from rubbing warmth into one footpad. His ears twitched forward as Tooth spoke.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Tooth fluttered nervously.

“Pitch? Pitch Black? Here?!” The notion made her nervous because all of their homes were supposed to be safe guarded against intruders. The fact that Pitch could simply waltz into the North Pole like that made her uneasy. More than actually, because unlike the Warren, or Sandy’s home, or North’s Workshop, her palace was open to the air and more vulnerable. What could the Boogeyman want? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good; nothing with Pitch could ever be termed as good. Hadn’t they dealt with him years ago though? Made sure that he couldn’t come back? Couldn’t turn more children and such into Fearlings? The Fearling War had been brutal and the place North had once called home, Santoff Claussen, had never been the same. Since that time, the Guardians had rarely been back to the village.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

North stared at his fellow Guardians, he had their attention now.

“Yes! There was black sand covering the globe.” He began to tell them about what he’d just seen barely an hour before.

“W-what do you mean black sand?” Bunny asks, but North ignores the interruption; Bunny had a bad habit of doing that when he told stories and such... The Pooka really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut before North was done explaining. The Guardian wasn’t even looking at the rabbit as he gestures.

“And then... a shadow!”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Black sand? A shadow? Now wait just a bleeding tick... What was North blathering about now? Hadn’t he just said... ?

“Hang on, hang on. I thought you said you saw Pitch.” Was North backtracking on the story now? What was this about black sand and a shadow? North had said he’d seen Pitch... hadn’t he?

“Well, not exactly.” North replies, a hand behind his head. Oh crickey....

“ ‘Not exactly?’ ” He didn’t believe this... North was NOT doing this again... and not right before HIS bloody holiday! He still had loads of work to do! Why couldn’t the former bandit see just how much trouble it was to call him down when he had THREE days to finish up his work? He pulled out the egg he’d been working on and the brush, automatically adding a pattern to it even as he spoke.

“Can you believe this guy?” He looked over at Sandy who simply formed a question mark in his sand.

“Yeah, you said it Sandy.”

“Look, he is up to something very bad.” North said, not noticing the tiny fairies that had come to hover near him.

“I feel it.” He said seriously, which wasn’t something often seen in the jolly man. He glanced over to the others and took vague note of the three fairies nearby.

“In my belly.” He said, clutching his middle as if that whole statement right there meant everything.

“Hang on, hang on... You mean to say you summoned me three days before Easter because of your belly?!” Oh he could not believe this... At least last time had been a legitimate reason for the summons, if a small matter, AND it hadn’t been around Easter! Bunny all but scowled at the Guardian of Wonder.

“Mate, if I did this to you three days before Christmas...” He said, shaking the end of his brush at North to make his point.

“Bunny, Easter is not Christmas.” North says lightly as he snags the egg he’d been working on and tosses it gently in the air in his hand. Bunny laughed scornfully, his ears flattening back against his skull with displeasure.

“Here we go...” _How_ many times had they had this argument now? His holiday was just as important! Honestly, the man was more egotistical about his holiday than the Leprechaun was protective of his gold!

“North, I don’t have time for this! I still have two billion eggs that need finishing up!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: 
> 
> Please note that it will be a reoccurring theme throughout this to see different points of view from the various Guardians & even from Pitch & Jamie. This is going to be a more in-depth version of the story and does have some reference to the books I apologize if I accidentally spoil anything for those who have not read them. This is a revisit of the movie and how I believe things REALLY happened... which means there WILL be differences. So please don't point out that it's not like the movie, I'm not trying to copy it exactly (that would be a copyright issue really). My inspiration in terms of the characters comes from numerous fanfics that I have read. Too many to count, including the finished ones on this site. Everyone who has ever finished an ROTG fanfic, I have to say thank you for your contribution and the inspiration that has led to this creation.... and just so I don't get in trouble from anyone....
> 
>  
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rise of the Guardians or any of its characters or any characters that may appear from the book series by William Joyce, Guardians of Childhood.


	3. A New Guardian

Sandy watched the two argue... this again. Really, would the two EVER stop fighting about whose holiday was more important? Wait, was that elf drinking HIS eggnog? He yanks the cup away, not caring that the dumb elf falls to the floor. Something glitters against the cup and he looks up, eyes wide as he sees the moon coming in the skylight, gleaming. Manny wanted to tell them something! He drops his cup.

“No matter how much you paint is still egg.” North retorts as he points to the sky light that North had just for Manny to communicate to them with.

“I’m dealing with perishables! Right? You’ve got all year to prepare.” Bunny had retrieved his egg from North. He clenches his fists, the two weren’t paying attention! As usual... He tried whistling, a sand note forming over his head but that didn’t seem to work...

“Why are rabbits always so nervous?” He ask as Bunny fumbles with the egg.

“Why are you always such a blowhard?” The Pooka shoots back. He waves his hands rapidly, a flag over his head in his sand as he tries to catch their attention as the two bicker, but neither sees it. Tooth flies over between the two.

“Is that all in one house?” She’s talking to one of her fairies.

“Tooth, can’t you see we’re trying to argue?” North asks her.

“Sorry, not all of us get to work one night a year.” She replies and glances over at him. Finally someone is paying attention to him!

“Am I right, Sandy?” He smiles and points to the arrow at his head which is pointing at the moon. Her eyes go wide in startlement and for a moment he thinks she has gotten the point but she whirls to another fairy.

“Sandiego! Sector 2!”  Bunny doesn’t seem to notice at all.

“Come on, mate. Pitch went out with the Dark Ages. We made sure of it.” Yeah, they had... and it wasn’t really the Dark Ages... why the heck did everyone call it that? Bunny’s arm went right through his sand arrow and made it go poof... Ugh! This was always so hard! Could those two just stop for a minute and pay attention to him for once in 500 years?! He glances over and sees an elf licking his empty cup. Wait... that might work! He quietly stomps over to the elf, grabbing the unsuspecting guy and picking him up by his hat as he glares angrily at Bunny and North who are STILL arguing!

“I know it was him! We have serious situation!”

“Well I have a serious situation with some eggs!” Bunny retorts back as he picks the elf up and shakes him as hard as he can, causing the little bell on the elf’s hat to ring loudly. The others stop talking and turn to look at him. Staring angrily at the three, he drops the elf only once he’s certain he has their undivided attention. A crescent moon appears above his head in sand, he points to it and then towards the skylight; his expression not changing. North, as shocked as the others, turns and exclaims.

“Man in Moon!” He turns back to Sandy with his usual smile.

“Sandy, why didn’t you say something?” Sand shot out of his ears! The nerve of him! He’d been trying for several MINUTES! Honestly... the Guardian of Wonder was almost as dull as the elves around here sometimes.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

How had he missed this? Oh well, he’d worry about that later.

“It’s been a long time old friend! What is big news?” The moonlight brightened and shone like sunlight, he turned away from the light to look at the circle which he knew would form Manny’s wordless answer to his question, noticing that the Pooka hadn’t turned away and was wincing a little from the light. It had been a VERY long time since they had spoken with Manny, their benevolent leader, who had strangely been silent for the last 300 years... He looked at the wooden circle where the stone triangles made a square inside, each triangle held a symbol of each Guardian. A dark shadow formed over the circle and an image they all knew formed and seemed to turn like a three dimensional image might.

“It is Pitch.” Bunny said, not sounding happy to be wrong. He just patted his stomach to indicate to the lagomorph that he’d known all along... That the Pooka should have listened to him. He looked up at the moon, there would be time for talk with Bunny about it later.

“Manny, what must we do?” He glanced back down and nearly gasped as he saw the light intensifying and the small wooden doors that were the center square pulled back; his eyes went wide.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

She fluttered anxiously, this could only mean one thing! Did the others know what it meant though?

“Uh... guys... do you know what this means?” She asked as she watched a blue crystal appear from the doors, rising up on a pedestal.

“He’s choosing a new Guardian!” North said, pure wonder in his voice.

“What? Why?!” Bunny, of course Bunny would ask that.

“Must be big deal. Manny thinks we need help.” North replied.

“Since when do we need help?” Bunny asked. The look in his eye was one she’d seen a few times... Bunny was a little scared about what it might mean and he hid his fear with bravado. Even after all these years, Bunny still had trouble with connecting to others... a fear of trusting because he had once lost everything, a single coordinated attack that had left the Pooka the last of his kind...

“I wonder who it’s going to be!” This was so exciting! There’d never been a new member introduced before! Well, not since they had first been chosen, and Manny had left the crystal with North as a way of communication all those centuries before after they had all met and taken the oath. They had each been chosen, each had fought Pitch, each had been left with next to nothing and yet... each of them had retained their center through it all. That, as Manny had told them, was what made them a Guardian. Hope, Wonder, Dreams, Memories... all things that children needed and that they would protect in years to come. Oh heavens above, when WAS the last time she’d been out of her palace? She glanced over at Sandy who had a four leaf clover over his head, she sorta understood him.

“Maybe the Leprechaun?” Sandy nodded with a smile. The Leprechaun was a nice chap, little stingy with his gold maybe but he loved seeing the smiles on the faces of children and adults alike when he made his rainbows.

“Please not the Groundhog... please not the Groundhog...” Bunny and the Groundhog hadn’t gotten along... ever that she remembered. She thought the other spirit was nice, it’d be nice to have another female on the team, but Manny would choose who he’d choose and there was no doubt in her mind that it would be someone special, just like they were special... oh... was that? She peered at the image of the teen with the shepherd's crook who appeared like a blue hologram above the crystal.

“Jack Frost.” North seemed both shocked and pleased... if that were possible really. Not that she was paying attention... Oh... it WAS Jack Frost! That cute little spirit her fairies had seen flying about and spreading beautiful frost and snow for the last 300 some years... give or take a few. He was so... A couple of her fairies had swooned at that. Oh dear. Was it THAT obvious she had a little crush on him? She hoped not! None of the other Guardians, thankfully, seemed to notice.

“I take it back, the Groundhog’s fine.” Bunny was saying as she shook herself from her daze. Wait, what did Bunny have against Jack? Why would he hate Jack more than he hated the Groundhog?

“Well... as long as he helps to protect the children.” She said as she collected herself, trying hard not to stare at the image of the cute frost spirit who was, physically, the same age she’d been when she’d first become a Guardian... oh that was ages ago though. Still, a girl could dream right? Sandy would know ALL about that... wouldn’t he? Well if the little Guardian knew about her crush he’d never said anything, at least not to her or the others.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Crickey! Had Manny lost it? Why HIM out of all the other spirits? Why not another spirit who had a holiday? Like maybe Cupid or something... sure Cupid could be annoying as heck... but even the Groundhog was better than HIM!

“Jack FROST?! He doesn’t care about children! All he does is freeze water pipes and mess with my egg hunts! He’s an irresponsible, selfish-”

“Guardian.” North says thoughtfully with a nod, a slight smile on his face as he interrupts. Ugh! Why did North do that?!

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

“Jack Frost is _many_ things but he is not a Guardian!”

“Is no point bickering Bunny, Manny has made choice. Must be something special about him.”

“Special? Ya right! All he does is make trouble! Ya think otherwise ‘bout him he’s leg pulling, mate.” She couldn’t see why Bunny would say THAT? Jack was... cute... and his snow was pretty... from what her fairies had said and his frost was an art in and of itself... 

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Jack Frost... So that was Manny’s choice. Why was Bunny so against it? He had nothing against the frost child, aside from holding the record on the naughty list... Then again, he hadn’t actually met Jack though he had seen Jack flying about and giving the world snow as he’d been out delivering gifts. Why was the boy always on the naughty list? He hadn’t seen Jack do anything that deserved it... but the list never lied. Well, maybe they should start over and perhaps he could learn a little more about him. First though they needed to get him to the pole.

“Bunny!”

“What ya want mate?”

“Take yeti with you to place where Jack live, I know you know.”

“Whoa... Just what are you planning?”

“Is simple, find Jack, let yetis bag him and toss into portal. Simple no?”

“Heh... right mate... simple.”

“We need bring him here for oath. You know this.” Bunny rolled his eyes.

“He ain’t gonna like this. I’m tellin’ ya this is blue...”

“Is not. Is grand idea!” Bunny just sighs.

“Fine. Ya owe me one.”

  
  


**Russia**

 

Ice crackled from the end of the staff, snaking its way down the now frozen water supply and across the street to the water fountain where an unsuspecting young boy was drinking some water only to get his tongue stuck as the water froze. The young girls behind him begin to giggle as he shouts in Russian. Jack didn’t care what the boy was saying as he laughed a little at the prank; he was already flying off now, but he was pleased to have scored two for one with that little prank as a gentleman carrying some parcels had slipping on his ice just seconds after it had finished crossing the street. He sent spirals of frost up along one building, laughing as he went as the frost spiraled over the window and froze a child’s fish bowl, leaving just enough so that the fish was able to move at least a little bit. His frost then curled around the building as he laughs, watching as his icy blast upsets a pigeon on an open window sill and what looked like some boring project a college student was doing was suddenly scattered by the cold breeze he made as he shot by, some of it even flying out the window thanks to the bird as it flew off. He iced some hanging clothing that would have otherwise been dry with the morning sun the following day. He spiraled around the top of a building that looked like the roof was some ancient palace or something. He didn’t much care as he laughed, twirling around it on the small bit of wind he was controlling. He hooked one hand around the top and swirled around, facing the trail of pranks he left behind, laughing.

“Now that... that was fun.” The white haired teen grins. There was only one spirit alive who carried a shepherd’s crook, wore no shoes, pants out of the current era and a blue hoodie that was frosted over. None other than Jack Frost. With a grin he calls out.

“Hey, wind!” As always, since his rebirth, the wind blew at him in response to his call.

“Take me home!” He called and let go of the top of the roof, whooping the whole way; laughing in the thrill of it as he always had and always did. The wind carried him back to the place of his birth.

  
  
  
  


**Burgess, Pennsylvania**

 

The sun shone down on the town, none heard the yell of the winter spirit above them that yelled in delight as if bringing the greatest news ever.

“Snow day!” He skimmed through the town, bringing cold wind and snow with him. He loved bringing snow and fun to the one place that was his. The place that had always been his and no one, not even the stuck up Pooka, could deny him his fun even in early spring because this... this was home. He skimmed happily along the frozen water that was his pond, the place he’d come from when he’d taken his first breath. He barely noticed the frost spirals he left behind, flying up and barely noticing the boy who was walking back home from his pond. The boy’s front yard almost was the frozen over pond... along with a few other houses too that were closer but faced the other way. The brunette had always lived that close. Just along the dirt path that had once been a simple road into the town when Jack, himself, had been alive.

“Whoa! Whoa!” The young boy cried out as his book went flying. Jack stopped and landed near it, tilting his head to read the book.

“That looks interesting, good book?” He asked the twelve year old even though he knew that the boy couldn’t hear him; he liked to pretend sometimes that the boy could. After all, he’d watched the boy grow up before him since his family had moved in years before. Jack didn’t know when, he barely kept track of time because what was time to someone who lived forever? A pair of dark skinned twins came over, whooping, catching Jack’s attention. They were friends to Jamie Bennett, the boy who was wiping off the book.

“Yeah!”

“Alright! Snow day!”

“Snow day!” One nudged Jamie as they moved past him.

“You're welcome.” Jack said with a smile, he was always glad to see the joy that his snow brought children. Even if they couldn’t see or hear him.

“Hey! Guys, wait up! Are you guys coming to the egg hunt Sunday?” Jamie asks as he closes his book and races after the two as Jack takes flight. The two boys heading off to the house in the distance with Jamie right behind them.

“I hope we can find the eggs with all this snow!” One of the twins retorts. Jack never really kept track of which was which... he only knew one was named Caleb and the other Claude. He’d always felt most drawn to Jamie though, but he didn’t know why as he followed the trio to the boy’s front yard. Jamie had his book open again as he stepped through a loose plank into his yard.

“It says here that they found hair samples and DNA... in Michigan! That’s like super close!” He hopped excitedly as Jack landed on top of the fence, staff over his shoulder as he walked it as he had so many times before. He loved seeing the boy excited, but as usual his friends didn’t share his excitement.

“Here we go again.” One of the twins said as Jamie grabbed his sled, putting the book on the porch.

“You saw the video too Claude. He’s out there.” Jamie’s eyes went wide... okay so the one without the hat and in the black shirt was Claude... Jamie’s little sister was on the front porch too, dressed for winter like most everyone else.

“Like aliens.” Caleb said.

“And the Easter Bunny.” Claude said. Jamie gave Claude a look Jack had seen many times.

“The Easter Bunny is real.”

“Oh, he’s real alright. Real annoying, real grumpy and reeeaaaalllly full of himself.” He put in, as if the boys could hear him.

“Come on! You guys will believe anything!” Claude said, well they were getting a little old to be believers... Most kids stopped believing by twelve or thirteen if not sooner.

“Easter Bunny! Hop! Hop! Hop!” Sophie, Jamie’s sister said as she hopped down the last porch stairs only to be shoved to the ground by their greyhound.

“Ow!” She cried out, sniffling.

“Mom, Sophie fell again!” Jamie called as the front door opened.

“You okay Soph?” The girl didn’t cry but she also stopped sniffling.

“Jamie, hat!” His mother called and Jamie turned in time for his mother to plop a hat onto his head.

“You don’t want Jack Frost nipping at your nose.” _Like I do that..._ Who had come up with that silly idea? Nipping at the noses of complete strangers... what the heck?

“Who’s Jack Frost?” Jamie asked as his mother walked by him as he sat on the fence now as the twins were pulling open the gate like they should...

“No one, honey. It’s just an expression.”

“Hey!” Yeah... it was an expression, but he was real! He hopped off the fence to the other side and scooped up some snow.

“Who’s Jack Frost?” He asked, like the boys could hear him and blew his magic onto the snowball. He was going to get Jamie for that one. The boy should at least know the stories about him! He was in books like the one Jamie had been reading moments before... he wasn’t sure if he was in THAT book... but there _were_ stories. Always had been... and there were cartoons too! Geez... how did the boy not know? He only took a moment to aim, he didn’t need too much time to figure it out before he sent the snowball arching through the air with perfect aim. He never missed, or rather he hadn’t in the last one hundred years or so considering he hadn’t had much else to do with his time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aussie Slang
> 
> Blue - mistake  
> Dill - idiot  
> Crickey - exclamation  
> Leg pulling - to deceive; make-believe  
> Mate - friend, buddy, partner, someone close


	4. Jack Frost

He was minding his own business when he felt it smack him in the head. He turned around, looking around as he laughed a little.

“Okay... who threw that?” Claude and Caleb looked around as well for the culprit while he picked up some snow when he spotted where it likely had come from. Pippa and Monty were working on a snow fort. He tossed a snowball at them both, hitting Monty first and sending him tumbling into the snow.

“Jamie Bennett! No fair!”

“You struck first!” He accused with a laugh. In a matter of minutes everyone was laughing and throwing snowballs. Jamie fell over the bottom half of a snowman when he fended off a snowball with his sled. Suddenly the laughter stops and he hears a growl behind him even as Pippa cries out softly.

“Crud! I hit Cupcake!”

“She hit Cupcake.” Monty says, pointing.

“You hit Cupcake?” Claude asks, the kids cringing at the bigger girl who looks as mean as the snowman head she’s holding; Jamie cowers behind his sled, suddenly a snowball hits her square in the face.

“Did you throw that?” Monty asks.

“No.” Caleb says.

“Wasn’t me!” Pippa cries out, none of the children noticing Jack, perched on his staff between Caleb and Pippa, his magic sparkling out over the girl. He grins as he watches it take hold and the girl begins laughing. Soon they’re racing around the block in the snow, Cupcake chasing them with the snowman head as they “run for their lives” from it; laughing the whole way.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but his magic never failed to bring out the joy and laughter in people. He flew ahead of the group, catching up with the “leader” of the gang, Jamie. An idea suddenly coming to his head.

“Oh, a little slippery.” He said with a grin as he iced the sidewalk in front of Jamie.

“Oooh whoa!” Jamie cried out as he slipped and fell onto his sled.

“Jamie watch out!” Pippa cried.

“That’s the street!” She cried out in worry of her friend.

“Wait there’s traffic!” Caleb cried as the four concerned friends watched Jamie slide into the busy street on his sled that slid along Jack’s ice. Jack flew right next to the boy, he’d never let any harm come to Jamie. Jamie yelled as he ramped off some packed snow and into the street.

“Whoa, don’t worry kid! I got ya!” He said, even though he knew Jamie couldn’t hear him.

“It’s gonna be alright!” He reassures him, sending ice in front of the boy, unaware of the moving van behind them that skids, releasing a number of boxes and a couch.

“Keep up with me, kid! Take a left!” He says even as he steers Jamie away from a person walking two dogs.

“Hey! Slow down!” The man yells even as Jack leads him up along a dirt mound, the boy yelling the whole way. Jack leads him around a car and onto the sidewalk.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no!” Jamie cries even as he is out of the street, there are people all over the sidewalk. Jack runs along the various building walls and overhangings as he races along with Jamie, his ice weaving through the people and thus keeping Jamie from hitting anyone.

“Is that Jamie Bennett?” A woman calls out as they pass her by.

“There ya go.” Jack says, landing momentarily before him and flying backwards before flying up again and turning around as his ice sends the boy back into the street.

“Oh no, no.” The boy protests a little, but laughs a bit when he passes by a woman, his fear is replaced suddenly by the fun of the whole ride. Jack laughs with him, sensing the boy is finally relaxing and trusting him even though Jamie can’t see he’s there. Jack grins until he sees they’re heading straight for a snowplow.

“Whoa!” He swings his staff to curve the ice back to where they had originally began, sending Jamie shooting past and out of harm’s way... straight onto a ramp of snow. Jamie screams as he’s launched from the ramp into the air and lands smack into a soft snow drift while Jack lands on the statue next to it, cheering.

“Oh my gosh!” Pippa yells and the children run over to Jamie, stopping a few feet in front of him.

“Wow, that looks serious.” Monty says.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

“Jame, are you alright?” Claude asks, he gets up and laughs. What a rush!

“Whoa! Did you guys see that? It was amazing!”

“I did a jump and then I slid under a -” He’s cut off when a pink couch slams into him.

“Oh!” The other kids say in sympathetic pain. He recovers fast, noticing something white in his hand he’s tickled and he holds up the white thing triumphantly over the couch as he stands up. He’s holding up a tooth!

“Cool! A tooth!” He says as he stands up fully.  
“Dude, that means cash!” Claude says.

“Tooth Fairy cash!” Caleb agrees as the children gather around Jamie.

“You lucky bum!” Claud says with a grin.

“I got to put this under my pillow.” He says, this was awesome! He’d just had the ride of his life and now he had a tooth for the Tooth Fairy! Could this day be any more awesome?!

“How did you do that?” Pippa asked.

“I don’t know, I slipped and then it was like it was freezing in front of me and I just slid along-” Jamie would have said more but he suddenly seemed to be absolutely freezing... What was that? A pocket of cold air? That was odd... he brushed it from his mind as the group headed back towards their homes while it began to snow lightly.

“And it was awesome!” He said, having a captive audience in his baby sister who sat in her normal fairy wings over her pjs. She almost never took them off.

“And then there was this hill and it was like whoosh whoosh whose through these cars and then the sled hit this thing...” He said, demonstrating for her with a figure of his acting like the sled.

“And it was like way up in the air! And then, bam, the sofa hit me... and see!” He showed her his missing tooth.

“My tooth came out!” She giggled, pointing at the gap.

“Alright, you. Tooth under your pillow?” Jamie’s mother asked as she walked into the room.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” He says, setting the figure down as his mother shuts off the lamp; he switched on the nightlight that figure he’d made that held a flashlight in it before taking a flashlight from under his pillow as his mother was saying.

“Now don’t stay up trying to see her or she won’t come.”

“But I can do it this time!” He protests, turning to his sister.

“You want to help me, Soph? We can hide and see the Tooth Fairy!”  
“Hide, hide, hide, hide!” She repeats.

“Uh-uh. Straight to bed now, mister.” His mother replies.

“Mom...” He groans in protest even as she picks up his sister and his dog, Abby, joins him on the bed as usual. Sophie laughs, the three of them unaware of the winter spirit peering through the circlet window at them.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He loved watching them, pretending that he was a part of their family... why not? They seemed to be almost familiar to him sometimes. Like he was the boy’s older brother. He sighed as he pulled back onto the roof, his hood up around his head; as he always did when he felt depressed. He walked along the top.

“If there’s something I’m doing wrong... can you just tell me what it is?” He stopped and turned his gaze up to the moon.

“Because I’ve tried _everything_ and no one ever sees me.” He stared up in pleading sadness.

“You put me here. The least you can do is tell me.... tell me why.” As normal, though, the moon offered nothing but silence. With an inward sigh he turned away from the moon. There was never any answer... hadn’t been since he’d been told his name 300 years ago. Why he was here... what he was meant to do... he’d never known and he’d begun to think that he never would. No matter what he said or did... the moon never answered him. He had tried everything there was... well, everything he could... he’d been nice, naughty... he’d saved people... he’d killed a few... he’d brought the lightest of snows and the most furious of blizzards... Sled rides, ice rides... Even messages in frost but nothing had worked. Ever. He’d tried everything on just about everyone and now he’d pretty much began to lose hope that he would ever be seen by anyone who wasn’t a spirit. Not that any spirit bothered with him, they were always too busy with this or that; none of them seemed to care that Jack was lonely... that all he really wanted was a friend. Someone to talk to. Was that so wrong? He flew from the roof over to the nearest wire, the mere touch of his bare feet on it frosted over the wire that he balanced on, not that he needed to worry about falling. He skimmed his frost along the wire next to him with his staff. Jack chuckled softly as a stream of golden sand slid through the air in front of him, he looked up, shoving off the hood with a slight smile and a sigh. The one spirit he’d been able to talk to... sort of.

“Right on time, Sandman.” He ran across the wires, racing towards one and leapt up into the air to touch it, chuckling as it threaded through his fingers and a dolphin appeared, chittering at him as it “swam around him before doing a few flips and disappearing back into the sand’s main stream and heading off to its destination.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Sand swirled into the small apartment room where Cupcake lived, the room decorated with pictures of unicorns and one poster was of a ballerina bear. The room was pink and the girl snuggled a plush unicorn as the sand above her head swirled into the form of a unicorn dream with her riding it. Not hearing the soft laugher as shadows in the room darkened slightly and lengthened. From them a gray skinned figure with silvery, gold flecked eyes emerged wearing black, his slicked back hair black as the shadow he emerged from.

“Oh, I thought I heard the clippity clop of a unicorn. What an adorable dream!” He smiled a little and then looked down at the child who smiled in her sleep.

“And look at her. Precious child; so sweet, so full of hope and wonder. Why, there’s only one thing missing.” A smile crossed his face as he nearly touched the dream, but not quite.

“A touch of fear.” He walked his fingers over to the unicorn and pressed his finger into it. At the touch the sand darkens as he laughed.

“That never gets old.” He said as the child groaned a little in fright.

“Feel your fear. Come. Come on, that’s right.” He said as the sand swirled and turned into a black skeletal horse with glowing eyes and a flowing mane.

“Yes... what a pretty little Nightmare!” He cooed at it as it rubbed against him then swirled around his head before he grabbed hold of the tiny horse, meeting its eyes. It reared, whinnying and he released it.

“Now, I want you to go tell the others the _wait_ is over.” The Nightmare whinnied and flew out the window, rearing and galloping off to find others like it while he slipped through the shadows to the street below. He looked up at the moon that seemed to always be watching.

“Don’t look at me like that old friend. You must have known this day would come. My Nightmares are finally ready. Are your Guardians?” He grins up at the silent moon. He hadn’t heard anything from his “old friend” in many centuries and he knew that since his last defeat that the Guardians hadn’t noticed him. They didn’t know that he had survived, that he had been biding his time and creating a new thing... Nightmares from the dream sand that Sandman used. It hadn’t been easy, but the work paid off and he was stronger for it because the fear fed his Fearlings and made him stronger without alerting any of the Guardians he was even there... after all... it was only natural children wouldn’t always have good dreams all of the time. He’d been patient too, but now finally he had an army strong enough to strike back. He was ready for those four and he would have his reward.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He walked along the telephone wires, watching the last of the dreams disappear. Something huge suddenly darted behind him in the dark as he walked along one roof.

“What? Whoa!” He hopped from the roof to another, searching for the thing... He held onto a tree, glancing around, but he could no more see well in the dark than any other human even if he was a spirit. It passed by him again, rustling the leaves of the tree and he darted after it; leaping from the tree onto cars and accidently setting off a car alarm in the process, he jumped across several roofs in pursuit of... something. That something knocked over a trashcan in an alleyway just below and Jack hopped down to the street, staff ready to ice anything. There were some spirits who weren’t nice... not even to other spirits. He looked around, carefully studying his surroundings.

“Hello, mate.” He gasped at the sound of the voice and spun around. A familiar silhouette twirled a boomerang as it leaned up against a brick building, but Jack doesn’t lower his defenses yet.

“Been a long time, blizzard of ‘68 I believe.” The figure stepped from the shadows.

“Easter Sunday, wasn’t it?” Jack straightens momentarily, dropping his stance with a relieved smile.

“Bunny! You’re not still mad about that, are you?” He asked as he leaned on the staff, a smile crossing his face as he thought about that little accident... it really had been one after all.

“Yes.” The gray Pooka responded as he held up the boomerang.

“But this is about something else.” He looked down at the weapon.

“Fellas?” Before Jack knew what was happening, something grabbed his hoodie’s hood.

“Hey!” He saw a brown yeti holding a bag. Oh this couldn’t be good...

“Put me down! What the - “ He didn’t have time to say anything more as he flailed and was stuffed into a sack. His muffled cries to be let out ignored as he heard the warbling of the yetis, the sound of something breaking and the whooshing of a magic portal opening.

He barely heard what Bunny said in reply to the yetis, not that he cared, this was no way to handle someone! He cried out in protest only to be flung through the portal; he cries out until he hits something hard, he assumed it was a floor. The temperature was different too, slightly warmer but not by much.

“He’s here!” Comes a voice and Jack sees two small human-like creatures he’s seen before.... elves... they quickly step away from the opening of the sack. Jack groaned a little.

“Quiet.” The same voice repeats and Jack looked out to see three figures, one small man... Sandman... Another larger, man with a white beard and a floating... bird lady?

“Hey! There he is!” The larger of the three said with a welcoming smile.

“Jack Frost!” This was unbelieveable! He didn’t need an introduction... he was sure he knew who they were.

“Wow.” It’s the only thing he can think to utter as he stared at three of the most popular spirits... The most strongest as well.

 

“You got to be kidding me.” He murmured, suddenly a pair of yetis pick him up.

“Hey! Hey, put me down.”

“I hope the yetis treated you well.” North said as the yetis set him on the ground, seeing his staff nearby he kicked it up to his hand with one foot as he responded with sarcasm.

“Oh, yeah, I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magical portal.” His expression should have given it away, but North just smiled.

“Oh, good. It was my idea.” His idea? Oh boy... someone needed to teach this guy what sarcasm was. North turned from him to indicate the others as he began introducing them.

“You know Bunny, obviously.”

“Obviously.” He replied back as he shifted his gaze to the lagomorph who was leaning against a pillar.

“And the Tooth Fairy.” She zipped straight up to him with a smile, he leaned back a bit... hadn’t she heard of personal space?

“Hello, Jack. I’ve heard a lot about you, and your teeth!”

“M-my what?” He stammered a little even as she smiled at him.

“Open up! Are they really as white as they say?” She asked, prying his mouth open before he can even think to back away. Shocked at her boldness.

“Yes!” She gasped and pulled back.

“Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!” She said to two of her fairies nearby, both who coo “aww.”

“Girls, pull yourselves together. Let’s not disgrace the uniform.” She said and the fairies retreat with her; Jack can’t help but smile a little.

“And Sandman.” North said, looking down at the little man who’d fallen asleep.

“Sandy? Sandy?” North nudged the little Guardian a bit before saying a little more loudly.

“Wake up!” The little man woke up, giving Jack a friendly - if a bit sleepy - smile.

“Hey, anyone want to tell me why I’m here?” Sandy raised a hand, various symbols flashing overhead but Jack had no idea what he’s trying to say.

“Uh, that’s... that's not really helping, but thanks little man.” Jack stammered... just a little.

 


	5. A Not-So-Friendly Welcome

Jack stood up and turned from the Guardian.

“I must have done something really bad to get you four together.” He said as he froze an elf as it was coming over with a plate of cookies. Then the notion occurs to him and he turns with a bit of smile.

“Am I on the naughty list?”

“Ha!” North laughs and Jack turns, okay, so that probably wasn’t it.

“On naughty list? You hold record, but no matter; we overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate.” There was a shocker... why would North do that? Certainly not because of anything Jack had done recently... at least, he didn’t think so. Intrigued, Jack turns back to the Guardian of Wonder. He was skeptic about this, to say the least. North wouldn’t do that just for anyone and certainly not for just any reason.

“How come?”

“Ah, good question.” Bunny said, it’s probably the nicest thing the lagomorph has said to him all evening... well, okay, aside from saying hello earlier. He swore that rabbit held a grudge like no other spirit... well except maybe the spirit OF grudge itself... if there was such a thing.

“How come? I tell you how come!” North said, his expression becoming one of seriousness as one finger points at him, suddenly turning cheerful as he raised his arms.

“Because now you are Guardian!” Wait... what?! What the heck?! Was this some sort of joke? The yetis that seem to nearly appear behind North raise torches and music starts playing... okay... was this some sort of elaborate prank? He looked around as banners unfurled with a large “G” on them and colorful red with gold sunbursts... If this was a joke North was going all out... Oh man... wait... this wasn’t was it? Two of Tooth’s fairies flew towards him, attempting to put a colorful snowflake necklace on him but he wasn’t having any of that. Oh no... he wasn’t five! He stepped back and nearly bumped into a yeti behind him who steadied him. North laughed.

“This is the best part!” He said as excitement seemed to radiate from him. Okay... yeah... the guy was intimidating... even now. He backed up as two yetis before him approached with staffs ablaze at each end, twirling them about. Was the Guardian of Wonder out of his mind?! Fire?! Seriously?! He did his best not to wince even as he stumbled back from the flames. Sure he couldn’t be killed by fire, but he was a winter spirit for pete’s sake! That meant he and heat didn’t get along too well. He is forced to back a little the way he’d come and towards the yetis when he turns around to find elves marching about playing horns and... oh, they were the cause of the music. The yetis were still doing their fire display less than a five feet away. He did NOT feel at all comfortable with this! As he nearly stumbled back into them, the two yeti caught him, one hand each, and helped him back up much to his dismay. He looked down to see a mad little elf point at his bare feet then towards two elves before him that held up a gold tray with a pleading smile on their faces. On the tray were two blue elf shoes with a silver G and a snowflake on them with bells on the end. He glared down at the two, oh hell no! There was no way he was wearing shoes! He hadn’t worn anything like it since he had been born and he wasn’t about to start now! The music changed and he looked up.

 

 

“Huh?” A grey furred yeti was carrying a book towards North as elves tossed confetti... okay this was getting ridiculous now. They hadn’t even asked if he wanted to be a Guardian! They’d all just assumed! North took the book as the yeti bowed and the Guardian cleared his throat as he opened the book and flipped through it. Enough was enough! This little charade needed to stop... NOW. He didn’t care that Sandy was trying to encourage him... that the fairies seemed endeared... or that Bunny seemed to have an expression that said ‘oh my god’ on his features... This was just wrong... There was no way he was a Guardian... or could be one. He raised his staff and slammed it down suddenly, blowing out the torches behind him as a chilling blast is sent several feet from him. He was Jack Frost, damn it! Not some wide-eyed child! He wasn’t simply going to accept this, not when they hadn’t even bothered with so much as a “hello, welcome to the world” when he’d seen them about... Okay, so he had never seen Tooth about... but the others... They had no excuse. Sandy had been friendly enough but North? ... and don’t get him started on Bunny either... Several elves nearby skid in the resulting ice from his blast; the music cut off. North had to pull the book from his face.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

This was ridiculous. A complete farce in his mind. Jack isn’t a Guardian, would never be one though North insisted Manny had spoken. Well, no one could actually argue with Manny even if they wanted with the bloke always up on the moon nowadays. Hadn’t Manny been silent for about three centuries? Why speak up now and only to tell them that suddenly they had a new Guardian and that Pitch was causing trouble again? Yeah... None of this sit well with the lagomorph. There had to be something else to this because they’d beat Pitch back before and hadn’t needed help then. Why was it a big deal? Manny hadn’t explained that, then again did he ever? He rolled his eyes at the big production that North was producing for Jack. Well, at least the frost teen didn’t seem any more impressed than he was at this display. He had to give him that. How North had the time to put this together... or why he ever would is beyond him. The cold blast, however, wasn’t the reaction he quite expected or the fact that Jack was now narrowing his eyes at North like he was... angry? Maybe he was. North hadn’t exactly offered an invitation so much as just dumped this into the teen spirit’s lap.

“What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?” Okay... he hadn’t expected that either. North began laughing as if it were some joke that Jack would even say that. Why was North laughing? Yeah, okay, it was kind of funny to think someone would say that, he had to admit, but when he glanced from his fellow Guardian to Jack what little mirth he felt died and he realized Jack wasn’t joking. He was serious. Okay... why would Jack ask that AND be serious about it?

“Of course you do.” North said, as if it was a matter of fact.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Wow that was cold! She knew Jack could produce snow and ice, even frost but cold wind too? Why did he look upset? Shouldn’t he be happy that he was being allowed such an honor? After all, every spirit knew what a great honor it was to join the Guardians and many had asked to join over the centuries but had been turned down by North who had simply told them that they didn’t not decide who did and did not become a Guardian, but that Manny had chosen them and should another be chosen they would welcome them but until now there hadn’t been another Guardian, well, not an immortal one. Mother Goose had been the last, but she’d been mortal and like all mortals she had eventually passed away. Wait... what had Jack just asked? Did he not want to be a Guardian? Well... yeah it was a lot of work and inconvenient at times... but being a Guardian was one of the best things! She didn’t see why North seemed to find this funny because the look on Jack’s face told her that the frost spirit didn’t find any of this amusing; he was being serious, which was sort of odd for him really since he was known as a prankster. Was that why North had laughed? Did the Guardian of Wonder think it was just a joke? She didn’t think so. Being a Guardian was serious business, surely North could see that the boy before them was taking this seriously... But no...

“Music!” He said, striking up the elf band once more after speaking so matter-of-factly that of course Jack did want to be a Guardian; as if it was something ALL spirits must and did aspire to be...

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

“No music.” He says, ending the music a second time. Was the Guardian not taking him seriously? Well, okay, sure he joked around a lot and played pranks but he was being serious here!

“This is all very flattering, but... uh... you don’t want me.” He said as he hopped up on the weird console next to him.

“You’re all hard work and deadlines.” He made the point clear with his motions, all but painting them a picture of the differences between them and him. Relaxing his pose as he went on.

“I’m snowballs and fun times. I’m not a Guardian.” He dropped to sit on the edge of the console, his staff before him, one foot against it as he leaned forward on it as the end touched the floor.

“Yeah. That’s exactly what I said!” Bunny exclaimed. Oh great, the first time he and Bunny ever agreed on something and it was **this** of all things.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Finally! Someone else who agreed with him! From Jack himself no less! Surely the others would come around now and see that Jack wasn’t suited to be a Guardian. Hadn’t the frost spirit just labeled all the reasons that he wouldn’t be a good addition to the team? He looked at the others, but none of them seemed convinced. In fact, Tooth zipped over to him and Bunny nearly rolled his eyes again. Of COURSE she’d want to persuade him otherwise...

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

She flew over to him, stopping just far enough away to not invade his space fully. Hard work and deadlines? Did Jack really think that was what it meant to be a Guardian?

“Jack, I don’t think you understand what it is we do.” Being a Guardian wasn’t about deadlines, sure it was hard work... but it was for the children. The children were always worth it. So she hadn’t seen an actual child up close for many centuries... big deal, she was too busy to nowadays to work like she used to. Times had changed and she had changed right along with them, making more and more copies of herself in miniature to make sure she collected the teeth so that children would continue to believe right up until they lost their last tooth around fourteen years of age. She realized she had his attention and motioned towards the globe before flying about to make sure he was looking at her.

“Each of these lights is a child.” She began, North stepped up though and had to cut her off before she could continue.

“A child who believes and good or bad, naughty or nice... we protect them.” As North talked Jack was distracted. Oh gosh she just had to get another look at those teeth! Jack’s sudden noise though caused her to be caught.

“Tooth! Fingers out of mouth.” She backed off immediately, almost blushing.

“Oh, sorry!” She said before whispering to Jack.

“They’re beautiful.” Oh yes they were... she had never seen such teeth before in all her life! Hers were beautiful, of course, but they didn’t sparkle the white that Jack’s did and oh my... what she wouldn’t give to have any of those teeth... Okay, that was a bit far, but still...

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Okay, that was enough. They needed to get down to business and stop fooling around.

“Okay. No more wishy-washy. Pitch is out there doing who know what!”  
“You mean... the boogeyman?” Jack replied, seeming a little skeptical. North figured he’d heard of Pitch... who didn’t know about the boogeyman after all?

“Yes! When he threatens us, he threatens them as well!” He motioned towards the globe, meaning, of course, the children.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Wait... so he’d been dragged here by a couple of yetis with a burlap sack because of the BOOGEYMAN?! Ridiculous as it might sound to any human, Jack had more than enough of a healthy respect for the dark spirit to not want to get involved. He wasn’t one to fight if he didn't have to and why would he? Why SHOULD he?

“All the more reason to pick someone more qualified.” He said, turning from the trio, he’d lost track of where Sandy was but it didn’t matter really. He wasn’t cut out for this and he certainly hadn’t asked for it!

“Pick? You think _we_  pick? No! You were chosen! Like we were all chosen! By Man in Moon.” He stopped dead, every bit of him seeming to freeze like water. He was... what? Jack turned around, barely to keep himself from turning on a dime at that.

“What?” He could barely believe what he’d just heard...

“Last night Jack, he chose you.” Tooth said.

“Maybe.” Bunny said, well okay at least the lagomorph had doubts the others didn’t. Out of all of the Guardians was the ill-tempered hare the ONLY one who thought logically? He shook away the thought as he glanced up at the skylight.

“Man in Moon.” He muttered. The same one who never answered any of his questions? Who had put him here? He looked over back at them.

“He talks to you?” Maybe... maybe there was some hope here that he could get answers if the Guardians could talk with the Man in the Moon...

“You see, you cannot say no. It is destiny.” North says, but that isn’t an answer. It has nothing to do with what he’d just asked! Damn it all! Couldn’t he get a straight answer for once? Or did the Guardian of Wonder have listening issues too? Jack turns from them to stare at the moon again, it’s not full anymore but it wouldn’t be.

“But why wouldn’t he tell me that himself?” Oh blessed be... What next? He ran a hand over part of his face and back through his hair as it all began to sink in.

“After 300 years this is his answer?” He shoots a glare at the moon before looking at the four of them. Okay... so Sandy had joined the others... that didn’t mean he wanted to be a part of this.

“To spend eternity like you guys? Cooped up in some... some hideout thinking up new ways to bribe kids? No, no.” He turned back to the moon. Addressing him head on.

“That’s not for me!” He glanced at the others ruefully, he hadn’t meant for that to sound quite like it had...

“No offense.”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Bunny stared, wide eyed.

“How-how is that not offensive?” He asked, okay seriously... that was NOT what he did on Easter! He brought JOY and HOPE to children! He didn’t bribe them! They didn’t even really see him! Wrong again... how many times was Jack going to misinterpret what they did? Was this what he had to look forward to? Explaining every bloody thing to him like he really was the child he looked to be? Great... as if it wasn’t enough that Jack hadn’t grown up in the last near-half decade he’d seen the bloke... He really was still ticked about that snow four decades ago, only a little though; obviously Jack hadn’t changed in those four decades. Why weren’t the others saying anything? He glanced at them but they just seemed to not mind his outburst. Fine... well he’d say it then, he’d step up and, as humans said: play the devil’s advocate.

“Ya... ya know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet here." He hopped a step forward as Jack was walking off away from them.

“I mean what’s this clown know about bringing joy to children? Anyone?”

  
  


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

So that’s the way the rabbit wanted to play huh? Okay... fine... he could play hard ball. He turned back to the group with a slight smile.

“Uh, you ever hear of a snow day? I know it’s no hard-boiled egg, but kids _like_ what I do.” He says, watching Bunny scratch an itch with a hind leg like a dog... well okay he wasn’t a dog but sometimes he wondered if the Pooka didn’t notice that sometimes he acted a lot like the earth animal he claimed he was... So he wasn’t from Earth itself but that didn’t change the fact he just looked like a giant rabbit but spoke like he’d been raised by kangaroos. Bunny straightened to his full height.

“But none of them believe in ya, do they mate? You see you’re invisible mate. It’s like you don’t even exist.” The lagomorph says, giving him a knowing smirk as if he’s won this one. Jack nods, yeah, okay so he didn’t have any believers.

“Bunny! Enough!” Tooth says, apparently surprised the lagomorph would go that far.

“No, no... that kangaroo’s right.”

“The... the what?!” Score... Jack 2, Bunny 1...

“What did you just call me?” Tooth looked like she might giggle a little, double score...

“I’m NOT a kangaroo, mate.”

“Oh, and this whole time I thought you were.” He retorted back with a smile as he closed the distance.

“If you’re not a kangaroo... what are you?” Bunny was like no rabbit on this earth and everyone in the room knew it. Could Bunny really think to claim to be what he did?

“I’m a bunny, mate. The EASTER Bunny. People _believe_ in me.” The Pooka said, closing the distance between their faces with a scowl. He scowled right back. He could play this game and he WASN’T going to back down this time... if Bunny wanted a fight then so be it! He would show this “spring” spirit what for... He’d been practicing a lot over the centuries. He was no longer the pushover many spirits had once seen him to be in the early days; he’d suffered  lot at the hands of bullying spirits until he’d learned to defend himself and now he could do more than hold his own. He could wrangle a group of dark spirits like it was a stroll in the park.

“Jack. Walk with me.” North said and Jack glared a little longer at the Pooka without flinching back before turning to North and pointedly ignoring Bunny. He moved past the bristling lagomorph without so much as twitching in any sort of fear or nervousness; he knew Bunny would pick up on it if he felt fear but all he felt towards the overgrown rabbit was anger. Bunny had dogged him since day one, though despite heated exchanges it had yet to actually come to blows. What the heck did North want?

 


	6. Center

North led him down the... well it was more of an extended balcony than an actual hallway since the floors didn’t have a central wall really which allowed various toys to fly about as they were tested in the workshop area. There were a couple of wooden elevators, old fashioned but still they worked just as well as the ones he’d seen in modern malls. He wasn’t going to say anything, he was too busy gawking now. How many years had he spent trying to get into this place? He’d never gotten in of course but that didn’t mean he hadn’t tried... oh he’d lost count after the first century or so of being tossed through the tundra by the yetis that guarded the place. As the elevator went down he could see that yetis were everywhere with toys of all sorts.

“Nothing personal of course, it’s just not my thing.” He said as the elevator hit the second floor.

“Man in Moon says it is your thing!” North said as they stepped from the elevator and he absently signed something a yeti held out to him, using a large wooden pen... not exactly prehistoric there but not entirely modern either... a mix of the two really.

“We’ll see.” He replied as North moved ahead of him quickly, more so than Jack expected of the heavier man.

“Slow down would ya? I’ve been trying to bust in here for years! I want a good look!” North turned to him, a little perplexed even as a nearby large yeti turned at the same time.

“What do you mean bust in?”

“Oh, don’t worry.” He said, holding up his hands a little in surrender.

“Never got past the yetis.” He noticed the big yeti nearby.

“Oh, hey Phil.” The yeti made the universal sign that he was watching Jack and if anything went wrong he’d pound him... right... Well he WAS a guest here... wasn’t he? At least he hoped that much. He really didn’t want to have to fight his way out... especially not if the rumors that went around about North were true.

“Keep up, Jack, keep up!” North said as he moved further along the “hall” where many tables held various toys and ice models of said toys. Yetis were building, testing, even painting various things. From dollhouses and the dolls that went with them to action figures, toy fire trucks, toy tractors and even toy guitars! He had to duck beneath a sea turtle toy that flew towards him.

“Whoa! I always thought the elves made the toys.” He said as he caught up with North.

“We just let them believe that.” North whispered and the two stopped in front of two elves who had decorated a third like a Christmas tree and had just plugged the lights in. He couldn’t help but stare... Seriously? Were the elves THAT stupid? Well... these three seemed to be. North stared in shock a moment before plastering on a smile.

“Very nice, keep up good work.” He said before straightening and moving on. Okay... he felt more justified now about freezing that one up stairs that had that plate of cookies. Someone needed to put these poor things out of their misery, why did North tolerate them? He’d have to ask him that when they weren’t surrounded by them... Geez... they seemed to be everywhere!

It was a wonder North didn’t go nuts... Well, the Guardian of Wonder was obtuse to his sarcasm, what else could have gone over the Guardian’s head? He wasn’t so sure he wanted to know...

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He would talk to Bunny later about what he’d said to Jack, that had been pushing things too far; they were supposed to be welcoming their newest addition not pushing him away! Well, first he’d talk to Jack, find out more about the frost spirit and then he’d talk to Bunny about his attitude problem. Not like he hadn’t before, but before it hadn’t been such a big deal. It was now. Like it or not Bunny needed to accept that Jack was one of them, even if he hadn’t taken the oath. There wasn’t time to do it all over again, who knew what Pitch was up to even now? This was a very serious threat and Manny thought they needed Jack’s help so he would do his best to try and learn about him and mend the rift... hopefully before Bunny made it wider. The Pooka had always been a scrapper in his younger days, one would think being the Easter Bunny would have settled him down, but no. He pushed this from his mind as he led the frost teen through the workshop and to his personal office.

“Step it up everybody!” He called before pushing open the door that led to his office. It was more ice than wood, unlike most of the workshop. It was mostly natural and it helped inspire him like the music he often listened to. Various finished models of toys he’d made in the past that he’d loved the most sat on various shelves and his work benches held ice and his last project which wasn’t finished anymore as he needed to rework the ice that made the toy train that was supposed to go with that play set. Though he also had a fireplace in one corner, despite the snow and ice, that kept the room at a steady temperature, if not as warm as the rest of the workshop. It was... what he’d call cozy. He could sense Jack’s shift in moods as he’d walked in. The growing wonder in the boy spirit as he took in the new room; like the others, he was most sensitive to his center and he couldn’t help but smile a little as his heart warmed at the child-like awe from his soon-to-be-fellow-Guardian. He was certain the teen would come around just as Bunny would, given time. He dusted off his hands as he watched Jack, not that he needed to but he did need the boy’s attention... He noticed the elf on the shelf holding a fruitcake, he picked it up not noticing that the elf fell to the floor.

“Fruit cake?”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Oh hell no...

“Uh... no thanks.” He didn’t want to be rude and make North mad and he hadn’t been raised in a barn. He still remembered the manners he’d been taught... although he couldn’t remember who had taught him exactly or when he’d learned them. They were just a part of him, of who he was, and something he couldn’t really explain. He was a little surprised that North tossed it aside and the plate shattered but then again it was fruitcake... people didn’t eat that stuff they got rid of it. For whatever reason, the dish had the worst reputation in the 1990s as being something so hard and repulsive that it was considered the worst gift to give. He had never had it... at least he didn’t think so... He had no opinion on it but if it was hard enough to break a plate and not crumble even a little.... yeah that wasn’t something he wanted to try to eat. Wait... why was North looking at him like he wanted to beat the daylights out of him?

“Now we get down to tacks of brass.” What the?! He hoped that didn’t mean what he thought it did...

“Tacks of-” He didn’t even get to finish as he heard the door behind him shut, he turned, staring at the door as it locked on its own. Oh no... oh lord he was trapped... He swore he wouldn’t walk into something like this... No, no, no, no.... Not again! He turned back to North, unable to help the gasp as his eyes widened in sudden fear as the man advanced menacingly.

“Who are you Jack Frost?” He didn’t answer... couldn’t... his heart was hammering in his chest now. The Guardian didn’t strike as he feared the man might, instead he simply backed him against the door.

“What is your center?” Wait... what? Jack felt his fear begin to fade as he began to see that while North seemed intense he wasn’t... he wasn’t really angry or anything.

“My center?” What the heck was this about a center?

“If Man in Moon chose you to be Guardian, you must have something very special inside.” Something special? What was he going on about? He seemed serious... but... What the heck? That hadn’t answered his question... unless maybe that something special is what a center was? He didn’t get it... or at least he wasn’t sure he did. He felt himself relax more as North leaned back and ‘hmmed’ at him. The older spirit seemed to study him a moment before glancing over and with a smile and a raised eyebrow he moved away from Jack towards a shelf nearby. He picked up what looked like a weird version of himself.

“This is how you see me, no? Very big... intimidating... But, if you get to know me a little...”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He hadn’t meant to scare the boy, so he’d backed off and seeing the nesting doll he’d made of himself one year he picked it up off the shelf. Maybe this would help him explain to the boy not just about who he was but also about what it meant to have a center. He began going on about the imagery the first doll showed. It certainly wasn’t for any child to have.

“Well... go on.” He encouraged, as he handed the doll to Jack who set his staff against the nearest work table but still well within reach. The boy seemed a little skeptical as well as confused still... was there uncertainty too that he saw there? Jack took off the first piece.

“You are downright jolly?” Well, at least the boy seemed familiar with these dolls and understood the meanings behind them.

“Ah, but not just jolly.” Jack took off another piece and he continued as the teen pulled out one doll after another.

“I am also mysterious... and fearless... and caring... and at my center?” He moved to stand next to Jack who dumped the final piece into his cupped hand.

“There’s... a tiny wooden baby.”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He’d seen these before... even played with a few just out of curiosity. They often had meanings between one doll and another. The meaning here was obvious... well, until he got to the last one. A tiny wooden baby? It had the biggest blue eyes he’d ever seen... Were North’s eyes really blue? It was kind of hard to tell, but he assumed they were... or some shade of blue, he hadn’t really paid all that much attention to such detail; he’d been too caught up in dealing with his surroundings and Bunny... and ... yeah. So what the heck did a tiny wooden baby have to do with anything? Obviously this had something to do with North’s center, but what? It was just a baby... like what was at the center of all nesting dolls.

“Look closer.” North urged him.

“What do you see?” Jack picked up the tiny wooden figure that was the same shape as all the others... again, that was a trait of the nesting dolls. He shook his head, there wasn’t much to it, it was wrapped in red and had big blue eyes... well, maybe that was it?

“You have big eyes.”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

That was it!

“Yes! Big eyes. Very big!” He said, demonstrating on his own face as he moved forward towards Jack who took a step back. He laid his hands on the boy’s shoulders, barely noticing that the frost boy didn’t flinch even as he shook him gently.

“Because they are full of wonder.” He released the boy.

“That is my center.” He moved away, heading towards his workshop as he spread his arms as he continued.

“It is what I was born with.” He turned, his magic bringing the toys around him to life as he was filled with both wonder and excitement as he continued.

“Eyes that have only seen the wonder in everything! Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air.” The tree in his office suddenly lit up with lights that hadn’t been there before, an influence of the magic that lay dormant within him; that hadn’t had much use in the last near 500 years or so. A toy plane flew passed them both and the door unlocked and opened, allowing the toy to escape out among the more open area of the workshop. He followed Jack out of the office as the boy watched the plane, he could feel wonder and delight filling the teen.

“This wonder is what I put into the world! .... and what I protect in children.” He went on as the plane came back around as he stood near the railing.

“It’s what makes me a Guardian.” He felt the uncertainty rise in Jack as the teen watched the plane go by them again and looked at the figure in his hand.

“It is my center. What is yours?”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

So that’s what a center was... He felt sorrow and confusion war in him. A center was the purpose for being... something that the Moon had never told him no matter how many times he’d asked. Now North was asking. He sighed.

“I don’t know.” He wished he did, maybe then things would be easier for him. He’d know why he was here. Why couldn’t the Man in the Moon just have told him? Much to his surprise, North merely smiled and closed his larger hand over his, curling the cool fingers around the tiny figure. Was he saying Jack could have this? He wasn’t sure what to think. No one had ever just given him something before.... The hoodie he wore now had been something he’d found in a dumpster because it had been made too big... and it was too big on him but he didn’t care. It fit and it had been covered in his frost the moment he’d touched it so... well he figured if no one else was going to want it than he’d take it. After all, no point in still looking about as out of date as he was; okay, he wasn’t out of date he was just... he didn’t fit in. He wanted so badly to and what better way than to wear modern clothes? He’d kept the pants he’d been born in, he felt a little attached to ‘em really. He looked up at North with a grateful smile, he was about to thank him when he heard some sort of noise and glanced over to see Tooth fly past the window of North’s office. Where was she off to in such a hurry? Seconds later he turned at the sound of Bunny’s voice.

“We have a problem, mate. Trouble at the Tooth Palace.” He said. Tooth Palace? Was that just the name or did Tooth really live in a palace? He didn’t have time to ask as the three Guardians strode off, North leading the way. He followed hastily, not sure where they were going exactly as they got the lowest level of the workshop, essentially the basement, and he followed them.

“We take sleigh, is fastest way.”

“North! North!” He tried to get his attention, but the other Guardian seemed to not hear.

“Boys! Ship shape!” He says as the double wooden doors opened.

“As soon as possible!”

“I told you guys I’m not going with you!” He says louder, trying to make sure that North hears him.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Not going with them? He was sure that the frost boy would change his mind when he saw North’s sleigh. The little Guardian couldn’t help but smile at Jack, who’d protested about going the whole to the ice cavern where the stables were just beyond another set of double doors. It had been quite a while since he’d ridden in North’s sleigh and he was looking forward to it, especially since North had redesigned it a little; he also knew it was only pulled by six reindeer and not eight, why humans thought eight was needed the Guardian of Dreams wasn’t sure aside from the joke some women thought was funny because the reindeer that pulled the sleigh were always female, of course.

“There’s no way I’m getting into some rickety, old...” He grinned a little as the sleigh came out and saw the amazed, joyful look on Jack’s face. North had repainted the thing within the last couple of years.

“Sleigh...” The teen laughed a little while North murmured to one of the deer in his native tongue, patting the impatient beast. Prancer never had done well in staying settled. He looked at their newest member with a smile. Jack was definitely still just a kid, even with how old he had to be by now. The expression on Jack’s face was priceless as the sleigh stops, Bunny seemed a little apprehensive, but then again he’d never had reason to fly in North’s sleigh while he, Sandy, loved it. North didn’t miss Jack’s expression either though the teen tried to hide it.

“Alright, one ride, but that’s it.” He just smiled as Jack hopped in of his own accord, clapping his hands in anticipation, but Bunny on the other hand...

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He’d seen this thing before, he knew it could fly better than the original design but that didn’t mean he wanted in it...  In fact, he wasn’t sure this thing was even really as aerodynamic as North had always claimed it to be. He was almost positive this thing was more magic driven than anything and flight magic was never truly stable...

“Bunny, what are you waiting for?” North asks as he does his usual pre-flight check.

“I donno mate, I think my tunnels might be faster...” He kicked the thing, barely even hard enough to do any damage and the whole thing rocked like a cradle.... Oh hell no. He didn’t want any part of this!

“And safer.” He turned only to feel a hand grab him by the back of the neck and lift him up as North said absently.

“Ack! Get in!” He was tossed back to one side. Well, no backing out now and that was just a testament to how strong North was. Regardless of how Bunny knew others might see him as a big softie now that he was plumper than his younger self the lagomorph knew he still retained the same strength and fighting stamina of his youth.

“Buckle up!” North calls over his shoulder, as the other Guardian picks up the reins he looks around.

“Where are the bloody seat belts?!”

“Ha! That was just expression!” North says with a grin over his shoulder at Bunny. Bondi cigar!!! How this bodgy thing ever was going to take off boggled his mind really.

“Let’s go!” North called.

“Out of the way!” Before he knew it the sleigh lurched forward, no getting off this ride for him; he dug his claws into the wood, as if it would make things better as all he can hear is the clatter of the hooves just over the whistle of the wind around them and the snap of the reins as North urges the broard deer to race through the icy cavern. Oh what he wouldn’t give right now for the warmth of his tunnels about now... the cool breeze that played over his ears and down his back as he raced through the twists and turns that he knew so well... He could go through each tunnel by smell alone in the dark of night and had many times. As well as by just feeling the differences in each, oh to feel the hard impact of dirt beneath his paws...

“I hope you like the loopty loops!” North calls as the sled suddenly goes up one wall, over the ceiling and down the other side too fast for its passengers to feel the effect of gravity... Oh Creator.... He was going to heave... The sled righted itself though and he felt only slightly better as it plunged on; he just barely kept from it...

“I hope you like carrots.” He called back to North, before he knew it the sleigh gave one last lurch and it was off a ramp and off into the sky. He groaned, one paw over his stomach as everything began to smooth out now and he felt better. Could this get any worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aussie Slang
> 
> Bondi cigar - shit, turd, crap   
> Bodgy - inferior quality  
> Broard - female/women  
> Heave - vomit, be sick, throw up  
> Bloody - an explicative, distasteful; adjective - universal intensifying adjective; possibly an old Irish Catholic swear word that is the corruption of “By our Lady”


	7. Tooth Palace

He grinned, laughing from the thrill of the ride; much as he didn’t want to admit it and had been adamant about not going with the other Guardians, he had thoroughly enjoyed that! It was almost as good as riding the wind! He really wanted to do that again... although he wasn’t about to admit it. Okay, so the sleigh was cooler than he’d given it credit for and not the rickety old thing he’d heard from stories or seen in picture books and such; it was awesome, but he wasn’t going to tell North that. It seemed to him the guy had a big enough ego as it was. He laughed and whooped as it took off into the air and did a loop de loop as North had shouted “blast off!” and laughed. After it leveled out he heard a groan and looked over at Bunny. The overgrown rabbit didn’t look so good... Time for a little revenge. He climbed past Sandy, who was looking out one side, and hopped up onto the back.

“Hey Bunny! Check out this view!” As the rabbit turned to him, as he expected, he flailed.

“Whoa!” The wind swept him over the back of the sleigh.

“North! He’s...” Bunny cried out weakly.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He knew this thing was a death trap! The other Guardian didn’t even seem to hear him as he peered over the side of the sleigh. He didn’t like Jack, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see the boy hurt... or worse... dead... The fear for the boy left him instantly when he spotted the teen lounging along one of the back end spokes of the sleigh.

“Awww. You do care.” _You little..._ He realized in that instant that Jack had pulled a prank on him; he should have known... hadn’t he seen the boy flying about on several occasions? But the ride had shaken him and seeing someone die or be in that sort of danger had brought about flashes in his mind - if only briefly - of the past.

“Oh rack off you bloody show pony!” _Bloody Jack Frost..._ He is pretty sure the teen, who hopped back into the sleigh, had no idea that his idea of a prank wasn’t funny to him on several levels. Was the frostling completely ignorant of what he had experienced in the past? Okay, well he hadn’t exactly told Jack his life story, but it was common knowledge that he, Aster, was the last of his kind thanks to Pitch and that he had witnessed that slaughter first hand... A bloody, living nightmare... metaphorically and literally speaking. He shook off the thoughts as he tried to focus his mind from the depressing thoughts; he’d had centuries to deal with it and he still wasn’t completely over it... but who would be? No one understood what it was like, being the very last one... unable to do anything to save those he’d loved, those who had once shared his home with him... He had never told any of the others, or showed them, the blocked off tunnel that led to the massive grave. The sound of North’s voice brought him back to the moment as the other Guardian mentioned a short cut. He clutched tighter to the sleigh.

“Oh... I’m screwed... I knew I should have taken the tunnels!” He’d been through one of those portals before... it was an experience he never wanted to have again, but now he had no choice.

“I say... Tooth Palace.” North tossed a snow globe before the reindeer and it exploded into a portal that was a myriad of colors, one of the things that North used to get around the world quickly and while it was an instantaneous trip it turned Bunny’s stomach a little, but he soon forgot it as soon as he saw what lay before them in the distance. Specks of black swarmed the mountain where Tooth made her home.

“What?” Was that disbelief in North’s tone? He stood up to get a better look as suddenly they were surrounded and the sleigh jerked about in the air as “horses” zipped all around them. He barely noticed the umbrella that Sandy made as one nearly slammed into the smaller Guardian.

“They’re taking the Tooth Fairies!” Jack yelled and Bunny saw this for himself as he noticed one “horse” snap up several fairies in one go after another; trapped fairies visible in its ribcage.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He couldn’t just do nothing! He launched into the air after the first fairy he saw that was close, he pushed himself on the wind. Come on... come on... faster! He reached out, his hand closing in on the fleeing fairy just moments before the jaws of the thing could snap up its target. As it shot past, just beneath him, he fell down back into the sleigh and opened his hand. The little fairy looked up at him with dichrome eyes, a single feather on her forehead rather than the normal green marking her as an important fairy.

“Hey little Baby Tooth, are you okay?” He asked gently, she lay in his palm, wings not moving and her little feet were crossed; she felt very soft against the palm of his hand and he felt relief as she nodded her head even as she chittered at him in the language of her sisters. It was gibberish to him of course, but she was okay. He was glad and he tucked her into his hood; she happily stayed there while the sleigh drove on into the Tooth Palace while Bunny ducked back even as Sandy raised his sand-made umbrella as one “horse” plowed straight into it. Something golden clattered down in the sleigh.

“They’re stealing the teeth!” Bunny exclaimed as he looked at Sandy in disbelief.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

“Here! Take over!” He saw North withdraw his sabers and realized that Jack, who was now in the front, was driving the sleigh... He hoped Jack knew what he was doing. He let down the umbrella as another horse thing that had smacked into it suddenly exploded and something clattered into the sleigh. He knew what those gold cylinders were... they held the teeth and it was confirmed with Bunny’s next words but something caught the little man’s eyes and he picked up the black sand that covered one of his sleeves. Black sand... Just as North had described back at the pole... What was this? Pitch had never had the ability before to use sand... He had the Fearlings, nasty creatures that they were... So then... what was this? What had the Boogeyman been doing for the last several centuries to create THIS? Was this...? He rubbed it in his fingers, it felt so familiar and suddenly worry crossed his features. It couldn’t be... Could it? Was this... HIS sand? If so... what had Pitch done to it? He only created dreams from his sand for children... What was this monstrosity that Pitch had created?! How were they to fight it? He looked at Bunny in worry.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

How awesome was this?!

“Heya!” He snapped the reins almost as soon as North had handed them off. What kid wouldn’t want to drive Santa’s sleigh?! Oh... wait... he didn’t know how to drive one... oh crap... oh crap... Wait... what was that about teeth? He glanced back to see Sandy looking at Bunny in worry; what could worry Sandy like that?

“Jack look out!” North calls suddenly and he snaps around.

“Ahhh!” How did this thing work? Did he just.... He jerked the reins to the left, just scraping the top of a tower and barely keeping from slamming into it... okay so taking the reins wasn’t the best of ideas... He’d only worked with horses once in his life... and he’d been just a boy then with his father to guide him... Jerking the reins he managed to get the thing landed safely on a platform... mostly. He looked up but he didn’t see any more of those... whatever those horse-things had been, just a frantic looking Tooth who hoovered several feet in the air away from the group.

“Tooth! Are you alright!” He heard North call out and he hopped out of the sleigh, alert for more of those things though they seemed to be gone...

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

She fluttered about uselessly, barely noticing anything until she heard North call out to her; she flew towards him then.

“They... they took my fairies! And the teeth! All of them...  everything is gone...everything...” How? How could this have happened? She landed and sank to her knees... the frightened squeaks and chirps of her little fairies reached her over her bond to them and she couldn’t do a thing about it... Why was this happening? What were those... those things? All she knew for certain was that Pitch was the cause of all this... only he could be behind this sort of thing... She barely noticed the other Guardians leaping up to the platform she’d landed on. A hand on her shoulder. Sandy. Suddenly she heard a familiar chirp and looked up to see a familiar blur hurrying towards her from where Jack stood below in the sleigh. She gasps in delight as the little fairy hurries over to her and she holds out her hand for her little daughter who lands in her palm.

“Oh thank goodness! One of you is alright!” She looks down lovingly at her little daughter as she gently strokes her fingers over her hair, this little one was most precious to her; one of the more important fairies and one of the copies she had made early on and had made independent of her. This little fairy could essentially help her run things if she ever left the palace; not that she had needed too with so many fairies to gather teeth for her.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Oh wasn’t this so delicious! Things were falling into place just as he had planned, oh and how he had spent so much time studying his enemies just for this moment! Seeing the high and mighty “queen” brought to her knees made him laugh with glee and doing so brought the attention of the Guardians as he noticed them suddenly looking around.

“I have to say, this is very, very exciting. The Big Four all in one place.” He appeared on the platform above them, looking down as he continued.

“I’m a little starstruck. Did you like my show on the globe North? Got you all together... didn’t I?” He nearly laughed at seeing North’s frustration as the Guardian realized that they had played right into his hands; doing exactly as he had wanted them to, as he had expected.

“Pitch! You have 30 seconds to return my fairies!” Tooth always was a bold little thing, despite not having any visible weapon on her; he knew she was a worthy foe if provoked. His newest creation was already seeing to his work, he’d already won the battle here so he wasn’t too worried about dealing with just her and the others... although it wouldn’t do to rile them too much without revealing just what he had in store for them. He slipped into a shadow as she shot towards him, she could still fight and he didn’t intend for her or the others to get too close to him.

“Or what?” He asked as he emerged from a shadow across from where she hovered.

“You’ll stick a quarter under my pillow?” He held up his arms in mock fear; her threat to him was an empty promise without her legions of fairies to back her up. He straightened up his attention shifting to North who was pointing one saber at him as he spoke.

“Why are you doing this?” Wasn’t it obvious? Oh no... but of course not. Why would the Guardian of Wonder EVER know why he, Pitch, did anything?

“Maybe I want what you have...” He pointed as he all but sneered at them.

“To be believed in.”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Believed in... That was what this was about? He wanted that too... was it so wrong a thing? Suddenly he felt his breathing grow a little shallow... was he doing the right thing? Maybe... maybe he wasn’t on the right side like he thought he was before when he had ended up coming here. Sure it wasn’t right that Pitch had kidnapped Tooth’s fairies... but if he was doing all this just to be believed in... His head began to hurt a little. What **hadn’t** he himself done in the past for this very same thing? His head was filled with memories, both of laughter and cries for help... of joy and of screams...

“Maybe I’m tired of hiding under beds!” He heard the Boogeyman all but growl at the Guardians. This... this was like... were he and Pitch... the same? Did he really have more in common with the Boogeyman, the thing that scared children into “being good” or doing what they were told to... rather than with the Guardians who were looked upon by adults and children alike with such favor? Maybe... maybe everyone had Pitch pegged wrong... just as he felt that people pegged him wrongly. Calling him an expression, never seeing him and dismissing his work as things of nature... of just normal weather... even when it hadn’t been so nice...

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

“Maybe I’m tired of hiding under beds!” He scowled down at the four as he landed down on a platform closer to them. Didn’t they understand? He was sick of being walked through? No, of course not. Why would THEY understand when everyone loved and adored them... sang their praises....

“Maybe that’s where you belong.” Bunny retorted angrily; he made a sound of exasperation as he shifted to walk on the underside of the platform the four were standing on.

“Go suck an egg rabbit.” He felt only a little pleasure from seeing the lagomorph leap up a little in surprise as the rabbit had looked down with wide eyes while he’d peered up before moving across to another platform that was lower. Wait... the Guardians weren’t alone. They had brought someone with them... was that really?

“Hang on. Is that Jack Frost?” He laughed a little, lounging several feet behind the winter spirit on a higher platform, who was looking about for him but had yet to turn around. He laughed.

“Since when are you all so chummy?”

“We’re not.” Jack replied. Ah... so they’d just some how recruited him to help them huh? Well, he should really send a wake up call to this spirit before it was too late. After all, he had nothing against Jack Frost.

“Oh good.” Finally Jack turned around to face him as he leaned against an architectural frame that was pretty much useless other than for looks.

“A neutral party.” He stood up.

“Then, I’m going to ignore you.” He turned slightly with a grin, oh yes... he knew all about Jack Frost and just what irked this spirit.

“But you must be used to that by now.”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He jolted. That hurt. That was uncalled for... he hadn’t done anything to Pitch. He hesitated and wasn’t sure what to do. Should he attack or....?

“Pitch! You shadow sneaking ratbag come here!” Bunny hopped forward, charging the shadow who seemed to instantly melt into the ground and disappear before Bunny could get too close.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

That no good sneak! She charged with Bunny but even as he stopped short when Pitch disappeared she snatched up one of his boomerangs, doing a quick one eighty with a yell as she charged Pitch; seeing him on a different platform higher above the other two and away from Bunny and Jack. She was going to clobber him silly! That was the plan but she let out a gasp as suddenly one of those horse-things rears up next to Pitch, forcing her to back off. She stares, gasping at the thing even as Pitch just smiles at her in something of pity. She realized, wide-eyed, that he’d called one of the things back on purpose to join him and had known she was going to get close but the ... thing... had interfered. She floated back away from it, not sure if she should get close and remembering how dangerous Fearlings could be she knew it wasn’t a good idea likely to let it touch her; which meant she didn’t want to get too close to... whatever this new thing was.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He loved watching her reaction, the surprise... how her eyes widened in fear. It wasn’t a Fearling, but oh how he imagined she thought it must be. A Fearling in some new form, but that wasn’t the truth.

“Whoa! Hey! Easy girl! Easy.” He turns to his creation, standing between the restless horse and Tooth who had backed away to return to Bunny and give him back the weapon she’d momentarily borrowed. Once it was calm again he turned with a laugh, taking a bit of the wispy mane into his hand; it swirls a little before collapsing into his palm.

“Look familiar Sandman? Took me a while to perfect this little trick. Turning dreams into Nightmares.” He almost smirked as he watched Sandy form a bit of his own sand in his hand and the little Guardian glared at him, realizing that the worry before hand was true. The sand WAS Sandy’s... or had been until he had gotten ahold of it. He smiles as he strokes the Nightmare as it huffs, oh he could feel the desire in his creation to feed off the fear that was coming from the fairy nearby but not yet... He knew that would only get this one killed and so he used his touch to soothe it. Wordlessly promising that soon it would get a chance to feed on the fear it so desperately wanted... He didn’t let this into his expression though as he looked fondly on his creation.

“Don’t be nervous, it only riles them up more.” He said, petting his creation in attempt to keep it calm least what it felt from the Guardians below began to affect it and send it into a frenzy. Nightmares, his creation.... they were wild as the horses that had once roamed the lands in times past and only tame to his command because, after all, he was their creator.

“They smell fear, you know.” He glanced over at the Guardians.

“What fear? Of you?” Bunny laughs.

“No one’s been afraid of you since the Dark Ages!” Bunny scoffs.

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Dark Ages? Really? Why did everyone call it that? Did he need to get Bunny a history book? That was just a term that had been coined... that wasn’t the REAL name of that era. He should know, he’d lived at the end of that era... more or less anyway. At least, he thought he did and no one had ever told him any different. He wasn’t really sure just how old he was, but that hadn’t really mattered since most years were the same from one to the next.

“Ohhh, the Dark Ages.” Oh great... now Pitch too? SERIOUSLY? Was everyone going to call it that?

“Everyone was frightened, miserable.” Wait... was he going on a backstory monologue? Who the hell did THAT anymore?

“Such happy times for me! Oh the power I wielded... but then the Man in the Moon chose you to replace my fear with your wonder and light. Lifting their hearts and giving them hope.” Geez, this guy was bitter... Was he going to just ramble on? Okay... so yeah, once upon a time things had been bad for people but good for Pitch and then the reverse became true... at least that's what it sounded like to him.

  
  


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

“Meanwhile, everyone just wrote me off as just a bad dream.” He said hastily, his tone bitter. Oh how he had hated that! Hated becoming then what he was now... a ghost to everyone, something that wasn’t there. His tone became mocking as he repeated what he’d heard over the centuries.

“Oh there’s nothing to be afraid of, there’s no such thing as the _Boogeyman_.” He seethed, remembering the first time he’d heard those words and the fear and despair he’d felt. Oh they didn’t understand at all and he could see from their eyes as he glared at them that not a single one of the four was really listening... they weren’t trying to understand him, but he realized that Jack Frost might... The frost spirit was looking up at him just as the Guardians were, but there was something in those eyes... Yes... maybe... maybe he could actually have an alli... He hadn’t counted on the Guardians having help, but maybe he could turn their “help” against them. Yes... yes this unexpected turn of events might just actually accelerate his plans. So he rambled on with his story; Jack was listening, he could tell... he seemed to be the only one who was actually.

“Well, that’s all about to change.” He scowled at the four, punctuating the last three words. He wasn’t going to tell them how he was going to get his revenge, but they would know soon enough that this was their fate... and it was only the beginning. A sound caught his attention and he glanced above him a moment before turning back; his eyes seeking out the winter spirit in particular.

“Oh, look... it’s happening already.”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

Jack glanced at the others through the story... was he the only one really listening? There was a bitterness in Pitch’s words that felt... familiar... it rang true to him. Why was Pitch the bad guy for wanting to be believed in? Was he truly a threat to the children? After all, a little fear was necessary in every day life... when he was alive it was fear of being attacked by the natives or wild animals that pushed him and others of the village to be cautious about wandering about in the woods that surrounded their home. It made sure that children were safely in their beds at night to keep them away from hungry predators that were desperate when winter made food scarcer for both animal and man... He’d seen that many times over the years and how a healthy fear of thin ice and water kept children from playing in the pond that was his home. Not that he ever let it unfreeze and he’d heard the silly rumors that his pond was “cursed” since some boy had drowned in it.... Had he drowned? Was he that boy? He didn’t know and it didn’t matter really, not then and not now; yet as he listened to the Boogeyman he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Too much fear wasn’t good, but a lack of it was disastrous too... how many times had he seen the results of humans losing their lives to taking risks in his cold, daring stunts, or even just every day life because they had neglected to be afraid of the possible danger of their actions only to pay dearly for it. How many people had wandered into the wilderness during his winters only to never return home despite his attempts to help? Well, okay, not ALL of his attempts had ended in death... but so very many had... Yes, there was a need for fear in the world just as the world needed his winters. He didn’t trust the Boogeyman though, especially not since he’d resorted to kidnapping to get his way; not that it affected him in any real way but still... it was just wrong. Wait... something was happening?

“What is?” He looks around and begins noticing that the palace’s glamour around him is beginning to fade and crumble off the structure. What is going on? He looks at the Guardians, but it’s Pitch who answers him even as Tooth gasps.

“Children are waking up, and realizing the Tooth Fairy never came.”

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

He chuckles, he can’t help it as he sees the reaction in his foe’s magenta eyes.

“It’s such a little thing, but to a child...” He nearly laughs again when Jack looks at the Guardians who were apparently supposed to be guiding him. Well... seems they were in such a hurry to get here that they had been remiss in teaching Jack what he needed to know about being a Guardian like them...

“What’s going on?” Jack’s voice is almost too soft for him to hear from where he’s at, but he does hear it.

“They... they don’t believe in me anymore.”

“Didn’t they tell you Jack?” Oh obviously not, but he can’t help but take delight in how HE would be the one to educate the frost spirit in the problems of being a Guardian. In the very REASON to not be one and he had a captive audience in the teen, he could see that much.

“It’s great being a Guardian... but there’s a catch. If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect... wonder, hopes and dreams it all goes away; and little by little... so do they.” He chuckles at this, because this was the fate that was in store for them, this was his plan for each of them... well, except Jack of course because he obviously wasn’t a Guardian. How could he be when no one believed in him? It would be suicide otherwise... at least as far as he knew the Guardians relied on belief and without belief... no more them.

“No Christmas, or Easter... or little fairies that come in the night.” He relished the fear he could sense from at least two of the Guardians and he knew they were beginning to realize what he was up to.

“There will be nothing but fear and darkness... and me. It’s your turn not to be believed in.” Apparently that was going too far as he had to duck and dodge a boomerang that Bunny launched at him and he leapt onto the nightmare at his side, plunging down towards the shadows below to escape as the Guardians gave chase. Dodging and weaving away from a few egg bombs that slammed into the wall; he urged her faster, his mount and she poured on the speed and went straight for the nearest shadow, allowing them to escape their enemies. That had been a close one... almost too close. He slipped from the Nightmare as she stood in the lair now.

“It seems my plans need some altering now that there is a new player...” He murmured, he dismissed the nightmare from his side and moved to his throne. He settled in it and stared into the darkness that was his domain as he considered how he could use Jack to his benefit... Perhaps he could persuade the other to help him; after all, they both were in the same boat when it came to not having believers, but would Jack be desperate enough to get someone to believe in him to switch sides?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aussie Slang
> 
> Rack off - (angry) go away/get lost  
> Show pony - someone who tries too hard  
> Ratbag - not a nice person, rogue; adjective - a contemptible, obnoxious or untrustworthy   
>  person, on the eccentric side, who behaves improperly, or any combination of the above


End file.
